PTDC tourist information centres to be restructured

Rawalpindi - Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor has said that tourist information centres will be restructured for a modern and dynamic outlook with extensive face uplift.

Chairing a meeting with senior management of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), he directed that, “All the officers and incharges posted in PTDC’s 13 tourist information centres located all over Pakistan must aggressively market PTDC’s facilities as well as concentrate on promotion of all four-seasons tourism destinations.”

He also directed to submit a performance report of all units within a week. The tourism information centres would be renamed as tourism promotion centres, he said.

“Multinational companies, private school chains and groups of colleges may be approached for promotion of domestic tourism by providing special discounts to students and group tourists in PTDC facilities and transport,” Ghafoor further directed.

“This purpose can be achieved by holding tourism awareness seminars at schools, colleges and universities,” he said.

He further added that, “These centres will be refurnished with modern facilities and equipment with attractive outlook with a view to portray tourism face of Pakistan.”

“We have approached the Civil Aviation Authority to secure space for setting tourist information counters at all international airports in Pakistan,” the managing director added.

“It is our common duty to project soft image of our country throughout the world,” he said.

Buddhist civilisation attracts large number of tourists

In Pakistan, Buddhist civilisation attracts a large number of tourists as the country is the custodian of Gandhara Buddhist civilisations and numerous holy places.

Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Managing Director Abdul Ghafoor said the significance of Buddhist civilisation remains in Pakistan which attracted a huge flow of tourists.

He said over 20 million tourists visit number of places every year and the corporation was planning to adopt the productive strategies which will boost the tourism industry, he added.

PTDC also plans to launch an exclusive tourism channel in Pakistan, which will continuously display documentaries on nature, culture, history, archaeology and tourist attractions of Pakistan, Ghafoor said. It was also planning package tours for visitors from China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea, including trips to the Buddhist sites in Swat, Peshawar and Taxila, near Islamabad, he said.

Northern Pakistan and parts of modern Afghanistan formed the Gandhara kingdom, where Greek and Buddhist customs were mixed.